It was a sunny morning. The alarm rang on the table.

"Honey, turn it off," Dave muttered in his sleepy, turbulent voice, asking his wife.

Catherine walked into the room silently and sat on the bed, curling his hair with her fingers. "Babe, you need to wake up. Even today you're sleeping in so much. It's already getting late."

Dave, with blurry eyes, tilted his head toward Catherine. "Woah, gorgeous, look at you. Seems like I'm very lucky today." He collapsed back onto the white cotton pillow.

She smiled, setting her hair with her fingers. "Of course. You are very lucky to have me." Catherine, sitting beside him, shook his shoulder gently. "Okay, Babe, you lazybones, wake up and freshen up." Her face fell momentarily. "I knew you would forget."

Dave, still with his face on the pillow, grumbled, "What did I forget? Taking you to Starbucks? Or…" He suddenly became alert and realized. Quickly, he looked at her face. Now he remembered why she was looking so beautiful.

"Honey, wait a second," he said, making himself comfortable. He pulled her closer, his eyes softening as he gazed into hers. He cupped her face with his hands, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. "I could never forget our special day butterfly," he whispered.

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, their lips meeting in a gentle, lingering embrace. Catherine's initial surprise melted into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck. He pulled her onto the bed beside him, deepening the kiss as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Breaking the kiss, he looked into her black eye lined eyes, squeezing her juicy pink lips "Happy advance anniversary, my love. How could I forget the best day of my life?"

She laughed softly, her eyes sparkling. "You always know how to make things right."

He kissed her again, this time more passionately, before finally pulling away. "Now, let's get ready and make our day as special as you are," he said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

She nodded; her heart full. "I love you."

"Love you too" he replied.

Dave, feeling the charm of the morning, checked his phone for any notifications before getting out of bed and walking into the bathroom. He looked into the mirror, setting his hair just right and making sure he looked good.

"Babe," he called out.

"Yeah, babe?" Catherine responded.

"You must be lucky to have me. You did a great job choosing me," he teased from the bathroom.

"Of course, gentlemen. I am lucky. You are the best husband ever," she replied with a smile.

Still setting his hair, he muttered to himself, "I feel so sad for other girls."

He took his shower, and while Catherine was in the hall ironing clothes, she could hear him singing. When he walked out of the bathroom, he was wearing black cotton shorts and a white t-shirt, his steps rhythmic as he sang, "I said, Ohhhhhhh, I'm blinded by the lights." He continued walking towards Catherine, still ironing clothes, singing, "No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch." As he said "touch," he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her gently towards him.

His hands caressed her waist, feeling the soft curves beneath his fingers. Her body responded to his touch, leaning back into his embrace. He could feel the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of her dress. He turned her around, his eyes locking onto hers with an intense gaze before capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. His lips moved slowly, savoring the taste of her, his tongue gently exploring hers. His hands slid down to her hips, pulling her closer, deepening the connection between them.

Her breath hitched as she felt the electricity of his touch, her heart racing. He broke the kiss just enough to look into her eyes, his forehead resting against hers.

"I'm going to bring some snacks, my queen. I'll be right back," he whispered against her lips. He then pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, lingering there as if reluctant to pull away.

Catherine sighed, her eyes fluttering open. "You are naughty man."

Dave smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anything for you, my love."

He gave her one last lingering kiss, his lips lingering on hers, conveying all the love he felt. Then he pulled back reluctantly. Catherine watched him go, a soft smile playing on her lips, feeling the warmth of his love wrap around her like a cozy blanket.

"Be quick, babe, we're already late," she called after him.

"I'll be right back, hon. Where are the car keys?" he asked, his voice echoing from the kitchen.

"They're on the table."

"Okay, babe. Bye, love you."

"Love you too, hon. Hurry up."

"Yup, I heard you," he replied, a determined grit in his voice as he walked out.

As Dave walked to the pavement, he saw his neighbor watering the plants. "Hey Paul, how's it going?" he called out, waving.

 "Hey Dave, I'm fit and fine, buddy. Where are you headed?" Paul asked.

 "Getting some snacks for an anniversary picnic," Dave replied with a wink as he got into his car. Paul gave him a thumbs up.

 Dave switched on the AC and turned up the volume of the music playing, singing along, "And I just can't imagine how you could be so okay, now that I'm gone..." He continued singing as he drove eastward, headed to Bucharest Supermarket.

 As Dave neared the supermarket, a traffic signal stopped him. He lowered the volume of the song as he waited, mindful of the traffic. While waiting for the green light, his attention shifted to the left, where he noticed a homeless elderly couple sitting on the pavement. They were shielding themselves from the strong sun rays with a piece of bedsheet. In front of them were two trays with a few pennies. Passersby ignored the couple's plight, walking by without a glance. The husband's hands were raised in a plea for help, yet the pedestrians continued on their way, indifferent to their struggle.

 Dave's heart filled with compassion as he observed their situation. He felt a strong urge to help them.

 Suddenly, a loud horn honked from behind, snapping him out of his reverie. A man leaned out of his window, shouting, "Hey man, I don't have all day!" urging him to move.

Dave quickly composed himself and drove forward as the light turned green. His mind, however, remained with the elderly couple

As a guy shouts from behind, Dave snaps back to reality, realizing he missed the green signal. Hastily, he takes his foot off the brake and continues his journey towards Bucharest.

Here, Catherine finished ironing the clothes and neatly folded them. With a sense of accomplishment, she picked up the folded clothes and headed towards the bedroom where her luggage bag awaited. In the bedroom, she carefully placed the clothes inside the luggage, making sure everything was organized and ready for her upcoming trip. The satisfaction of completing a task efficiently filled her.

She sat on the bed with her legs crossed, she ponders over what she might have forgotten, but her feelings assure her that nothing is amiss. Uncrossing her legs, she stood and walks to the hall to give Dave a call.

"Babe, where are you? You're really making us late," she says.

"I'm on the way; I'll be home in 10 minutes," Dave replies.

"Yeah, but be safe, don't drive too fast," she reminds him.

"Okay, butterfly, see ya," he hangs up the call.

Dave headed to house from the market. But again, he stuck in the same traffic signal on the way he encountered before. His inner feeling fighting to ignore the homeless family. He strongly closes his eyes, but couldn't resist. As opens his eyes, grips the steering tight, slowly turns towards them. His heart sank. Thirty minutes had passed, yet they remained in the same position, with their tray still almost empty. As He was watching, old women start to stare at him. She had been laying her head on her husband's shoulder with her hands on her thighs, but suddenly she raised her hand towards Dave, pleading for help. Dave quickly takes his sight out of her, focusing on the road and waiting for the signal. As Dave tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and shook his legs, the red light suddenly turned green. He swiftly took his foot off the brake, released the clutch by pressing the accelerator pedal, and began to drive forward. Glancing at the mirror, he noticed that the woman was no longer there. Shocked, he decelerated the car and pulled over to the side of the road. Dave was still engulfed in confusion as he pondered over what to do. Checking the time on his phone—9:36, still not too late for his flight—he found himself torn between his hesitation to help and his overwhelming sympathy and concern for the homeless couple. Biting his nails in indecision, he finally unbuckled his seat belt, grabbed a few snacks and his wallet, and exited the car. From a distance, he could only see the husband, still in the same posture as before. Dave quickened his pace, determined to assist them swiftly. Approaching them, he watched as the old woman slowly made her way with a bottle of water retrieved from a nearby tap. She gently sat on the ground, as she saw Dave, her tears streaming down her chin. Dave didn't get why she is crying. His intention was simple—to offer them food and money and then leave. The husband's gaze remained fixed ahead, seemingly unaware of Dave's presence. Dave placed the snacks beside him and reached for his wallet. As he prepared to offer money, the woman's tears intensified. With a trembling hand, she removed the blanket, revealing that her husband had lost both his legs. Dave's breath caught in his throat, his pulse quickening with shock. Without further delay, he withdrew several hundred-dollar notes from his wallet and handed them to the husband, his heart heavy with the weight of the moment. With nothing more to say, Dave turned and left, his mind reeling from the encounter.

Catherine stood in front of her wardrobe, deliberating over which dress to wear for the day. Her eyes scanned the array of options, searching for the perfect choice. In the confusion, her look fell upon a yellow fabric, a dress she hadn't worn often. A smile spread across her face as she remembered that yellow was Dave's favourite colour, making it an ideal choice for their anniversary. She quickly pulled it out, her face filled with smile, it's one of the dresses she is searching for and regretting why she haven't found before. Yet, she still needed to find a comfortable dress for traveling. Turning her attention to another option, she selected the Arvy Maxi black dress and examined how it suited her.

Catherine took a comb and few makeup set and settled in front of the mirror to groom her hair. With her hair slightly curly, she opted to use a hair straightener to smooth out a few strands. Humming a tune as she worked, she suddenly noticed a fleeting shadow pass by outside the window. Startled, she turned around, half-expecting to see Dave.

"Dave, I saw you" she called out, hoping it was him.

However, there was no response. Shrugging it off, she continues to focus on hair. She is setting her hair, reconfirming the best suit, standing up from the chair, she reached for the dress she planned to wear, closing the door behind her.

"I will be there in a moment" she said from the room

As she started to undress, a shadow appeared on the foggy window glass. Catherine, facing another direction, blocked her view of the window, completely unaware that she is being exposed. The shadow grew darker, indicating someone was nearing the window, attempting to shield their eyes from sun light while peering inside. Sensing a change in the room's lighting, Catherine turned abruptly to the window, catching sight of someone quickly moving away. Shocked, she covered her nakedness with the clothes nearby, swiftly closing the curtain and rushing to the bathroom to dress up. The unsettling encounter left her shaken, her mind racing with increased heartbeat.

Catherine, still feeling unsettled from the earlier encounter, cautiously approached the window. With apprehension, she slowly opened it, peering outside to discern who might have been lurking there moments ago. She scanned the area, hoping for some clarity or reassurance about the mysterious figure. As Catherine closed the window, she heard the door banging, causing her heart to race with anxiety.

As she paced towards the door, she called out, "Babe," but received no response.

Again, the door banged twice. "Who's that?" Catherine asked, but received no response. This time, as she heard the bang, she peeked out of the hole in the door to see Dave standing there, she quickly opened the door. His hands full of bags of snacks, and a half-eaten burger in his mouth. He gestured for Catherine to take a few bags.

As she took few bags, "Oh, Dave!!, you really gave me shivers! Why didn't you say anything when I called you?" she asked him

"Don't you see, I'm having a burger in my mouth. How can I respond?" Rubbing his forehead with his right hand, "Eww, our door is really hard."

She laughed "You banged the door with your head?"

"I had to, no other choice. I can't kick it"

They entered the house.

"Babe, did you notice anyone strange outside?"

 "No, why?"

 "I just... I felt like someone was peeking inside from the bedroom window while I was changing my dress. But later, when I looked, there was nothing there."

 "Hmm... Maybe it was just a shadow from the tree. And really, who would try to jump the compound wall in broad daylight?"

"Yeah, you're probably right. Sorry, I just got spooked. Anyway, I'm done with all the packing, babe. Now it's just you who needs to get ready."

 "Alright my sugar cake, go choose your shoes. I'll be in the car by the time you finish."

As Dave took not more than 10 minutes in getting himself ready, he found catherine still finding out the shoes.

"Well, well, well, look who's talking about time and still stuck choosing shoes," Dave teased as he approached catherine, a playful sarcasm on his face.

"Honey, I can't decide which shoes to wear. Can you help me?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration and a hint of humour.

"Sure, Let me see... Oh, how about those sparkly ones that make you look like Cinderella?" he suggested.

"Cinderella? But do you want me to trip over and lose my glass slipper at the restaurant?" she responded, her tone teasing yet concerned.

"Good point. Maybe the red ones? They'll make a statement," he suggested, trying to be helpful.

"Statement? Yeah, like 'Help! I'm married to this indecisive shoe critic!" she quipped, her laughter ringing through the room.

"Alright, alright. What about those comfy flats? You know, the ones you wore when we danced all night at that wedding?" he proposed, remembering the joy of that evening.

"Oh, you mean the ones that are as comfortable as a cloud? But will I be floating or walking tonight?" she pondered aloud.

"Well, at least you'll be floating through the evening, my love," he reassured her.

"Fine, the flats it is. But if my feet ache, I'm blaming you!" she declared playfully, a smile evident in her voice.

"Deal! Now let's go, it's getting late for the flight," he said, his voice filled with anticipation and excitement for their anniversary trip.

This happy couple, headed to the airport to fly to Colombia and celebrate their anniversary. As they walked through the busy terminal, their excitement deep, they couldn't wait to embark on their romantic adventure together. With each step, they looked forward to creating unforgettable memories in the attractive landscapes of Colombia, marking another milestone in their journey of love and companionship.